Various vacuum cleaners and especially large vacuum cleaners used to operate on floor carpeting have employed various means for creating a vacuum in the area of a mechanical beater which impinges either bristles or other brush like elements into the nap of the rug for loosening the materials therefrom and for placing it into the air stream entering the vacuum cleaner. These prior art machines are large and relatively complicated and not usable in removing lint from clothing or smaller articles and especially from some portions of upholstery or the like. The small prior art vacuum cleaners which have been available for the purpose of cleaning small articles have only provided vacuum for removing foreign matter from various surfaces and, in many instances, hair or other foreign matter tends to cling tightly to some fabrics and the vacuum of such small vacuum cleaners has been incapable of removing such foreign matter from various articles such as clothing, upholstery and other surfaces.